a red shawl

I have been wanting a red shawl since the first time I saw Secret of Roan Innish.  One of the characters had a lovely one.  A while back I had made myself a red sweater and it really was not me.  So, I took it apart, rolled up the yarn, made myself mittens and hat, still had many yards left.  Probably over 1500 yards.

So I crocheted myself a shawl.  It is a rather simple pattern.  Start with chaining four, turn and it second chain, single crochet.   Single crochet in the next two chains (should be the end).  Chain one.  Single crochet in the first single crochet, two single crochets in the middle, one single crochet at the end.  Chain one.  Turn and single crochet in the first single crochet, two single crochets in the next, one single crochet, two single crochet, one single crochet, chain one.  This is the way the pattern grows.  So basically, the second single crochet in the row at either end gets two.  It makes a triangle.  I just keep going until I run out of yarn or it is as big as I want it.

 

I decided to put some lace on the edges of this one just too make it feel more lovely.  Danica and Russell said it was HUGE!  But I thought it was just right, especially when I got a bit chilled one morning.  I now have a red shawl! 

possibilities of adventures

It was Danica's birthday yesterday.  She did not really want things but wanted experiences.  Which are always interesting to give as gifts.  So I decided to make her card.

I took an old calendar card I had to start with.

 

Then I made coupons.  Three for food because I must feed people, especially my very own very tall short person.  The other was an adventure.  Either facilitating what Grandma does or creating one of her own.

 

I then stitched the coupons into the calendar card, trimmed a little, and added a note to the front.

 

With the card, and a bouquet of her favorite flowers, this is what I gifted Danica with.  The possibilities of a meal when her heart has mended, a smile for a flower that is like sunshine, and the possibility of an adventure.  Simple things can be the best.

the rafters are up!

Russell and I got the rafters up on the Teahouse on Sunday.  Okay, so it was mostly Russell but I was the go to person to bounce ideas off, come up with knew ideas, and help move rafters.

 

It is a double reciprocal roof which is one of the strongest out there.

 

This is where the monitor is going to be.  

It does not look like much but Russell worked on it all day.  It also made him very happy.  More cob, deadmen, and lathes are needed but it is a step.  We may have a finished Teahouse by October, with many hours of plastering still to come!  That piece makes me smile even though I am short.  It is going to be hard to reach parts of the walls even on scaffolding. 

vegan molasses crinkles

My tummy is not always very happy with a lot of dairy or conventional eggs.  I chose carefully where I want to add those in.  Russell avoids soy because he used to react to it badly.  I decided to try to create a molasses crinkle recipe.  I am learning a lot about good vegan baking from Vegan Cookies Invade the Cookie Jar.

Molasses Crinkles

1/3 cup olive oil

3/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup molasses

1/4 cup original hempmilk

1 tablespoon tapioca starch

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon cloves

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon ginger

In a bowl that will fit in your refrigerator, put the oil, sugar, and molasses.  Stir.  Mix in the hempmilk and tapioca starch.

 

Mix in the flour, salt, baking soda, cream of tartar, cloves, ginger, and cinnamon.

 

Cover the bowl with cling wrap and put in the refrigerator at least an hour.  

 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.  Prepare cookie sheets for baking.  Put a couple tablespoons of granulated sugar in a shallow bowl.  Scoop the cookie dough by the teaspoon.  Roll and roll in the sugar.  Place on the cookie sheet.  When the sheet is full, bake for 10 minutes.

 

I like to let these cool on the cookie sheet for about ten minutes before I try to move them.  The way Russell is munching on them, I do believe they are a success.  He cannot tell they are vegan.

finding peace

I have been antsy lately.  I would really like to take a road trip out of Houston.  Hitch up the trailer and go.  But I know that is not going to happen until September.

So instead I cut out small squares of fabric.  Scraps of fabric that are not big enough to make anything else out of and would be thrown away.

 

I make nine square patches with them.  The process gives me peace just like spinning yarn does.  You can just think I am crazy.  But at least at some point there will be enough squares to put a quilt top together.  Then we will sleep snug and warm under a quilt of peace.